The contract standoff between Liverpool and Mohamed Salah might be tense, but it doesn't seem to be stressing the Egyptian out. With only five months remaining on his existing contract, speculation surrounding Salah's future continues to run rife. If he fails to agree an extension in the coming weeks, he will leave Anfield for nothing at the end of the season. If that happens, there will presumably be plenty of offers on the table for the 32-year-old, though a move to the Saudi Pro League looks likeliest. Last month, when visiting Liverpool's training ground to interview Arne Slot, Gary Lineker bumped into Salah, who offered the Match of the Day host a little insight into his thinking ahead of a potential summer exit.

"He's a lovely guy," Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast. "I spent 10 minutes with him when I went to visit Arne Slot.". Co-host Alan Shearer asked: "Did you not get it out of him whether he's staying or going or not?" Lineker replied: "I didn't, no. He was just being funny. He asked me, 'how old were you when you finished?' And I said, 'well, English football I finished when I was 32 and then I went to play in Japan for a couple of years'.

"And he went, 'ahh, you went for the money did you?' And I said, 'well yeah I suppose so'. And he went, '...Yeah, I might do the same'. He [then] winked at the press guy that was there. It was just a joke. But he has got that cheeky sense of humour.". Despite the possibility of a summer departure, Liverpool supporters are clinging to the hope that Salah will decide to prolong his tenure in Merseyside. His uncertain future hasn't dampened his on-field performance, with the Salah scoring 25 goals across all competitions this season, matching last season's total already.

His goal-scoring prowess has propelled Liverpool to the top of the charts, both at home and in Europe. The Reds have a six-point lead over Arsenal, who sit second in the Premier League, following their 2-0 victory against Bournemouth on Saturday courtesy of a Salah double, and they could extend their lead to nine points if they win their game in hand against Everton next Wednesday. They also topped the Champions League league phase table, securing seven victories from their eight matches. In the last 16, they'll go up against either PSG, Brest, Monaco or Benfica, depending on the outcomes of the play-offs and the draw for the subsequent round.

Salah's predicament isn't unique at Anfield. Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have less than six months left on their current contracts, so Liverpool risk losing all three players at the end of the season for nothing if contract extensions aren't negotiated and signed. Real Madrid are optimistic about securing Alexander-Arnold, with the defender reportedly verbally committing to a move to the Bernabeu recently. Van Dijk, meanwhile, is expected to remain at Anfield, although a new contract has not been finalised yet.

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